Taiwan and China settle dispute on fishermen's deaths

• The settlement includes compensation for the victims' families and the repatriation of their bodies to China.
• The deal may help reduce tensions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait, which Beijing claims as its own.
• China condemned the incident in February and began regular patrols around Taiwan's Kinmen archipelago.

After months of negotiation, Taiwan and China have "reached an agreement" on responding to the deaths of two Chinese fishermen who died following a sea chase by Taiwan's coastguard, according to Taipei. The settlement includes compensation for the victims' families and the repatriation of their bodies to China. Taiwan's coastguard declined to provide further details.

The deal may help reduce tensions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait, which Beijing claims as its own. Following the incident in February, China condemned it as "malicious" and began regular patrols around Taiwan's Kinmen archipelago.

Beijing's coastguard stated in February that the regular patrols aimed to “maintain operational order in sea areas and safeguard fishermen’s lives and property.” The two men who died were part of a group of four aboard a fishing boat that entered Taiwanese waters off Kinmen on February 14 and resisted inspection. The boat capsized when Taiwanese authorities pursued it, and the two fishermen drowned while attempting to escape.

Beijing and Taipei used to be more flexible regarding each other's fishing fleets, particularly around Taiwan’s offshore islands, which are very close to the Chinese coast. Kinmen, Taiwan's northernmost archipelago, is just 3 km (1.9 mi) from China. However, in recent years, Taiwan has been enforcing its waters more strictly in response to what it describes as a significant increase in poaching by fishermen from China's coastal Fujian province.

Residents of Kinmen have reported seeing more Chinese dredging vessels in the area. For months, China's Taiwan Affairs Office urged Taiwanese authorities to investigate the incident and assist the victims' families. The office also accused Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province that will eventually join China, of "using various excuses to forcefully seize Chinese fishing vessels."

Taiwan has defended its coastguard's actions and urged Beijing to "restrain similar behaviors" in its waters. On Tuesday, Taiwan's coast guard director, Chang Chung-lung, apologized to the victims' families "for the suffering [they have] endured" and also "for not recording evidence in this case." Hsieh Chin-chin, deputy director-general of the Coastguard administration, stated that both sides "will actively implement the agreed consensus as quickly as possible."

"We respect the families and the content of the consensus, so we are unable to provide further details," Mr Hsieh added.

A spokesman for Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council revealed that private donors will cover the compensation. He emphasized that this arrangement would not affect the outcome of the investigation into what happened and who was responsible.

Beijing said it hopes Taiwan will "actively implement the terms of the agreement to provide peace of mind to the victims and offer an explanation to their families".

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